Relapse
by CheerfulChemist
Summary: The effects of the Valkyrie and Dreamworld toxin are returning. This story starts the morning after The Failure of Success with the same universe. There was a tiny foreshadow in Growth II. Featuring Jackson Hunt, Greg McClintock, The rating is M for safety. We are between Thanksgiving and Christmas. As usual I own nothing and wish I did. Follow me on twitter @CheerfulChemist
1. Chapter 1

Relapse

Chapter 1

Rick was feeling a little chilled. He attributed it to the late night of tree trimming and pulled Kate closer to his body. It should be a great day. Alexis and Martha had gotten early starts. Kate wasn't on call at the 12th and in the rarest of occurrences, Rick was caught up on his deadlines with Gina. He imagined curling up with Kate to watch a John Woo marathon - if he could just get warm.

Kate awoke to the slightest of shivers from Rick. "What's the matter?" she asked. "Bad dream?"

"No, just a little cold."

"I could warm you up," Kate offered.

"Just what I was hoping you'd say," Rick told her.

Kate snuggled into Rick, running her hands up and down his body, but she didn't receive his usual jump to attention. She reached lower. He guided her hands and seemed to enjoy what she was doing, but he was not the urgent lover to whom she had become accustomed. She finally replaced her hands with her lips and his excitement grew along with her own. He brought her above him and she found that she was doing most of the work. Not that she minded, exactly, but it was unusual and a disquiet began to eat at her mind. She collapsed on top of him, listening to the rapid beat of his heart. "Warmer now?" Kate asked.

"I have warm feelings," Rick answered.

"That's not what I asked you," Kate said, running her fingers over his face and brushing back the hair from his forehead. "I think you've got a fever."

"That's just my response to you," Rick teased.

"No, really," Kate told him. "I'm getting the thermometer."

Kate heard the beep and looked at the numbers on the display. "Rick, you've got a hundred and two." She grabbed an extra comforter from the closet, putting it on top of what was already on the bed and tucked it around him. "I'm going to get you a couple of ibuprofen."

As Kate was shaking the pills into her hand, the doorbell rang. She pulled on a robe and went to answer it. Agent Rachel McCord and Dr. Goldberg stood on the threshold. Kate's stomach twisted. Soundlessly, she motioned them inside.

"How's Mr. Castle?" Dr. Goldberg asked.

"You probably know or you wouldn't be here," Beckett answered, "but he has a hundred and two fever and he can't get warm. I was just going to get him some ibuprofen."

"I have something that should work a little better than that for now," Dr. Goldberg said. "Can I go see him?"

"Of course," Beckett answered and showed him into the bedroom. Beckett came out immediately to stand face to face with Agent McCord. "Rachel, what is going on here? And don't tell me I don't need to know, because I do and you know I do."

Rachel indicated that they should sit on the couch. "You know that Mary Elizabeth Reed got the same toxin Castle did," McCord began.

"Of course," Beckett told her impatiently. "I was there."

"McCord ignored Beckett's outburst and continued. "Mrs. Reed got more and she got it in liquid form which is much more deadly. She's had a relapse and is in a coma at Walter Reed under supportive care. Def Sec Reed is going nuts. He's decided that the staff is completely incompetent and won't let them try anything unless they try it on someone else first."

Beckett's eyes hardened. "So that's where Castle comes in. He's your guinea pig. If something works on him, you'll give it to Mrs. Reed."

"That's a cold way of putting it," McCord agreed, "but essentially yes. Dr. Goldberg will explain this better though. If we do nothing, Castle is going to get sicker and he could die. He needs us as much as we need him."

Dr. Goldberg beckoned Kate into the bedroom. "I want to explain this to the two of you together, he said. The antidote Mr. Castle got complexed with the toxin, that is, it fit it like a hook and eye to keep it from doing any more harm. But there were two different forms of the complex. One of them was water soluble, that meant it could be washed out of the body. That was done while Mr. Castle was in the hospital. He was unconscious and couldn't feel the effects of the complex going through his body. We were also able to control the effects such as fever to some extent. When his body was free of that complex, he seemed fine. The other form stayed in his body without obvious effects. Now it is breaking down. It may be releasing the toxin. It may be converting to the water soluble form or it may be doing both. We don't know exactly what is happening or how fast. We'll just have to watch it and keep analyzing Mr. Castle's blood. I've given Mr. Castle a shot that should help with the symptoms for now. Mr. Castle, did you have any unexplained illness before?"

Castle started to say no, but Beckett said, "Yes. Remember when you got that fever weeks ago and you thought you caught something from Alexis, but you couldn't have."

Castle nodded. "But that was only a day, and I was fine."

"That may have been the beginning," Dr. Goldberg said.

"Will Castle have to travel to D.C.?" Beckett asked.

"No," Dr. Goldberg told her. "I've set up a facility at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia. I can do the testing there and I can monitor him here, at least for now. This is my secure cell number," he said, handing a card to Beckett. "I'll be back in a few hours, but call me if anything happens."

"Rick," Kate said after Goldberg and McCord had left. "I am so sorry. I don't know what to do."

Rick patted the bed beside him. "Just come here, let me hold you for a while."

Beckett climbed into bed, snuggling under the curve of his arm while tears glistened in her eyes.

A shadow fell across Rick and Kate as they lay. Kate reached into the drawer of the nightstand for her gun. A man with snow white hair, dark eyebrows, and eyes with just the faintest resemblance to Castle's raised his hands in surrender. "No need for that," he said. "I'm here to help."

Castle opened his eyes. "Dad! What are you doing here?"

"Dad?" Beckett asked.

"Kate Beckett, meet my father. Still going by Jackson Hunt?" Castle asked.

"That will do as well as anything," Hunt said. "I'm glad to finally meet you, Detective Beckett. I watched you two dance around each other from afar for four years. It's nice you finally got some sense in your heads. It's a shame you had to stumble into this."

"Shame is an understatement," Beckett told him. "You said you're here to help. How?"

"This is not the only country that knew about that toxin or the only country working on antidotes. I may be able to shake something out of the woodwork. How are you doing, son?"

"Other than having a deadly toxin in my body? The doctor gave me a shot. I feel better."

"Good, I'll be around." Hunt walked away and out the door of the loft.

"Is he always that talkative?" Beckett asked.

"That was him being positively verbose," Castle told her.

"Clearly you take after your mother," Beckett told him with a teasing expression.

Warmed by her smile, Rick laid a kiss in Kate's palm and closed her fingers over it.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Kate," Rick called.

Kate sat up with a start. "Rick, what's the matter? Are you OK?"

"I am more than OK," he answered. "I am great! Fine! Ravenous!"

"I can get you some toast or something," Kate suggested.

"Not food," Rick told her, pulling back her sleep shirt to nibble her shoulder.

"You're sure, Rick?"

Rick took Kate's hand and put it where she could feel how sure he was. She smiled as he took her lips with his. Rick couldn't taste enough of her. His tongue thrust deeply into her mouth before moving to the sensitive spot where her neck met her collarbone. Kate arched as Rick sucked her flesh into his mouth and writhed in pleasure as he continued his journey toward her most sensitive feminine spots. Her hands sought him, stroking and loving until she brought him to her. A tsunami engulfed them as they came together, followed by the wash of continuing tides that finally ebbed, leaving them staring at each other in wonder. They held each other in amazed silence, until the doorbell buzzed.

Castle and Beckett pulled on robes and went to greet Dr. Goldberg together. "How are you feeling, Mr. Castle,?" the doctor inquired.

"Great actually," Castle told him with more than the hint of a grin. Goldberg noted without comment that Beckett was blushing.

"You may find," Goldberg told them, "that there are periods of … euphoria, between episodes. You may certainly behave … normally at these times, but we will still have to monitor you. I'm going to draw your blood and I'll leave some medication with you in case you need it."

"I'm going to the precinct with you," Castle told Beckett after Goldberg left.

"Castle, do you really think you should? If something happens..."

"Goldberg said I could behave normally," Castle argued. "Following you around has been normal for me for over five years. If anything happens I have the pills and I have Goldberg's number. Besides I can use the distraction."

"All right," Beckett agreed. "It will make it easier for me keep my eye on you anyway."

A body dropped not long after Beckett and Castle arrived at the 12th. A man was found in one of the few rent controlled apartments left in lower Manhattan, a fourth floor walk-up. The apartment had the reek of a body undiscovered for several days. Lanie wordlessly handed Beckett and Castle a jar of wintergreen balm to apply to their upper lips to mask the smell. Despite its use, Castle looked a little green. "You could wait outside the apartment, Castle," Beckett suggested.

"I'm staying," Castle said. "Lanie, do we have a cause of death?"

"You'll have to wait for the lab work for that," Lanie answered. "There's not a mark on the guy."

"Do we have an I.D.?" Beckett asked.

Esposito jumped in. "You're not going to believe this. The guy is Sam Wallace."

"Owner of the Wallace chain?" Castle asked incredulously.

"The same," Ryan confirmed.

"What is he doing here?" Castle asked.

"According to People Magazine," Ryan told Castle,"he's famous for his, to put it nicely, frugality. He lives here. Neighbors called when the smell started to seep into the hall."

"He's Scrooge!" Castle exclaimed. "Someone killed Scrooge!"

"Hold on cowboy," Lanie interjected. "We don't know yet that anybody killed him. We just know that he's dead, very dead."

"OK," Beckett said, "Ryan, Esposito, start a canvass of the building. See if anyone saw anything suspicious. Do we have next of kin?"

Ryan handed Beckett a sheet from his notebook. "Daughter, Deborah Wallace Winters."

Deborah Winters lived with her husband in an apartment only slightly less modest than her father's. It did have an elevator. There were no tears when Beckett broke the news.

"Don't be sorry for my loss," Deborah said. "You can't lose what you don't have. I haven't talked to my father in years. My husband David and I both work at the store, on different shifts. As you can see, we're not exactly swimming in the Wallace fortune."

"Mrs. Winters," Beckett asked, "can you think of anyone who might want to harm your father?"

"He didn't die of natural causes?" Deborah asked.

"At this moment, we don't know," Beckett told her. "But we like to gather as much information as we can."

"Good luck with that," Deborah said. "I think almost everyone who worked for him would have liked to harm him. That's thousands of people. If you really need information about my father, you should ask his right hand man, Percy Wellbottom.

Castle covered his mouth to hide his smirk at the name.

Beckett handed Deborah her card and she and Castle left. Beckett made a few calls to track down Percy Wellbottom and she and Castle went to interview him at the corporate offices of Wallace Marts, Inc.. Wellbottom was aptly named. He reminded Castle of a walking pear, with glasses and a bad toupee. He seemed to take the news of his boss' death hard, daubing at his eyes with a handkerchief and gulping from a glass of water.

"I don't know what we'll do without him," he told Beckett and Castle. "He's the guiding force behind everything we do."

Castle looked around the cheaply furnished, incredibly crowded office. "I can see that," he said.

"Have you any idea who might have it in for him?" Castle asked.

"The competition, obviously," Wellbottom answered. "The other chains want our business, especially at this time of year. Wallace Marts is out in front and everyone else is running to catch up."

"I think I heard what Wellbottom said on a commercial," Castle quipped as they were leaving.

"I think I did too," Beckett agreed. "Hey, you want to hit Remy's for some burgers?"

"Sure," Castle agreed.

When the waitress brought their order, Castle asked for some water and stared at his cheeseburger.

"You OK Castle?" Beckett asked.

"Yeah," Castle answered. "I think I'm just going to take one of Goldberg's magic pills."

Beckett ate very slowly and lingered over her strawberry shake, trying to give the pill some time to work. After a few minutes, Castle started to nibble at his cheeseburger and by the time Beckett finished sipping her shake, he had finished most of it. Castle paid the check, and they returned to the 12th.

Beckett bent over her computer screen, researching the Wallace Empire as Castle sat in his chair beside her desk. Late in the afternoon the phone rang. Lanie called them to the morgue.

"This is a strange one," Lanie told them. "Wallace's kidneys shut down. Something clogged them up, but I have no idea what it was. I have every screen I can think of, running now."

"So was this an accident, or did someone poison him?" Beckett asked, clasping Castle's hand as she did so.

"You guys getting affectionate now about poison?" Lanie asked. "That's so cute. But right now I really can't even make a guess about what happened. If someone did this, they did it over a period of time. They didn't just drop it in his coffee. I let you know if I come up with anything else. You OK Castle? You look pale."

"Fine," Castle told her, flashing a grin. "Just up late."

Lanie bobbed her head. "I bet you were! All right you two. Get out of here."

"Castle, you want to go back to the loft?" Beckett asked as soon as they were out of earshot.

Castle nodded.

Dr. Goldberg paid a visit to the loft that evening. "I have the results of your blood tests," he said. "You've been releasing the water soluble form of the complex. That will make you feel ill and cause you to spike a fever. You've already been experiencing that. I can give you another shot to help with the symptoms, but that situation will eventually resolve on its own. More worrisome is that we have found very small traces of the pure toxin. If the amount of that rises. You could be in serious trouble."

"How serious?" Castle asked.

"You could die," Goldberg told him. "We're going to try to keep that from happening. We're going to try what we call chelating agents, things that tie the toxin up. That can be very painful and we don't know if it will work. You might want to go to a hospital or have a healthcare professional here with you while you go through treatment, maybe a private duty nurse. You think about what you want to do, but we should start as soon as possible."

"I think I know what to do, Dr." Castle said. "Can we talk in the morning?"

"I'll see you then," Goldberg said. He gave Castle a shot and left.

"Rick, you should go to the hospital," Beckett said.

"No," Castle told her. "I have another idea."

"You better not be thinking about a naughty nurse," Beckett told him.

"Oh this one has been very naughty, but I think you'll approve." Castle pulled out his phone to search for contact information for Nurse Greg McClintock.

Given his record, Greg McClintock was happy for the job offer and agreed to be in the loft first thing in the morning.

"Well," Rick said, "I'm full of the good doctor's joy juice and we have the night. There's no reason to waste it."

Kate cupped his face with her palm and kissed him, ignoring the tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. "No reason at all."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

There were a couple of hours left before daylight. Rick and Kate had spent the time of darkness loving and just wrapped in each others' arms. Rick wished that he would never have to move, never let go. That couldn't be, but there was still time. With the lightest of touches he caressed her hair as it splayed on his chest. Kate snuggled more deeply against his body. Rick pushed Kate's hair back, touching her ear. Her lashes lifted. "I didn't mean to wake you," Rick said.

"It's all right, Kate told him. "Whatever you need."

"I need you," Rick whispered. "Always."

They kissed softly, fingertips just brushing over bare skin. They held and clung until slowly, almost imperceptibly, the heat began to build. The contact became deeper, more intense, until they couldn't survive without more, without melding with each other. Love flowed overcoming them, and they lay in the glow of it until sunrise.

Castle saw Beckett off with a heart topped latte as Greg and Dr. Goldberg arrived.

Castle introduced the two men. Dr. Goldberg began the procedure.

At the 12th Beckett studied the financial records, phone records, and anything else she could find on Samuel Wallace, doing her best to stay distracted. Samuel Wallace had probably been as close to a scrooge as anyone on earth. Although one of the world's richest men, the amount he spent was closer to what might be expected of someone trying to survive on minimum wage. He barely bought groceries, although that was hard to tell, since he didn't use a credit or debit card to purchase them. He had no car. Most of his clothes were second hand. He used minimal utility plans. He had no television and used the cheapest possible ISP for his ancient computer. Beckett remembered that Castle had told her once that the rich were rich because they didn't like to spend money they didn't have to, but this was ridiculous.

None of the documents contained any hints as to who might have been able to get close enough to administer any kind of a poison, assuming anyone had actually done so. Wallace lived alone. Percy Wellbottom might have been able to dose him, but if he had, he was one hell of an actor. That was always possible. Beckett had been fooled before, but a murder by Percy Wellbottom seemed like death by Weeble. She just couldn't see it. Despite her efforts to keep it at bay, a thought kept creeping into Beckett's mind that she would be doing better if Castle were there, working the case with her. He often managed to see the strange little things that she wouldn't even have thought of.

Under the cover of picking up further information on the cause of death, Beckett went to see Lanie. "Girl, what are you doing here?" Lanie asked. "I told you I'd call if I had anything." Lanie caught sight of the expression on Beckett's face. "Where's Castle?" she asked.

"Lanie, I need to tell you something. Some of the details are classified and I'm going to leave them out because what's going on now goes back to when I was in D.C.. Castle had an accidental encounter with an experimental toxin. It was tied to a case I was working on. He almost died, even after he got the antidote, but he was supposed to be all right. He isn't. The toxin is being released in his body and no one is sure what to do about it."

"What are you doing here?" Lanie asked. "Why aren't you with him?"

Beckett swiped at her eyes. "He doesn't want me there. The doctor's doing something called chelation therapy. It's supposed to hurt – a lot. Castle doesn't want me to have to watch. You remember that nurse, Greg McClintock who broke his girlfriend out of jail? He's with Castle."

"Honey," Lanie comforted. "That may be best. I remember Greg. He's a good guy. I know about chelation therapy, although it's not necessarily an accepted practice. Castle may end up with fifty to a hundred shots and there will be side effects. I can understand why he wouldn't want you to see him go through that."

"I understand it too, I just feel so helpless. Last time I was searching for the antidote. Now I can't do anything."

Lanie held Beckett in a comforting hug. "You will. I know you will."

At the loft, Castle tossed on the bed under a cooling blanket that had been provided by Dr. Goldberg. The doctor had administered treatment and left to have Castle's latest blood samples analyzed. The spiking fever was expected, but Greg had strict instructions to call if anything unexpected occurred. Greg kept constant watch on Castle's vitals and was relieved to see that the fever had finally broken and Castle had fallen into a normal sleep.

"Castle opened his eyes. "Kate," he called.

""She's not here," Greg told him. "Shall I call her?"

"What time is it?" Castle asked.

"Five in the afternoon," Greg replied.

"Good. She should be finishing her shift. Can you get me my phone? I'll call her."

"Castle!" Kate exclaimed at the sound of his voice. "How are you?"

"I'm OK," he told her. "I miss you. Can you come home now?"

"On my way," Kate assured him.

Greg met Kate at the door. "How is he?" she asked.

"He had a really rough day," Greg answered, "but he seems to have come through it pretty well. His vitals are good and his fever is down. He really wants to see you."

Kate sat on the edge of the bed, unconsciously brushing back Rick's hair. Long lashes lifted over sapphire eyes. "I was waiting for you. Hi!"

"Hi yourself," Kate said. "How was your day?"

"Pretty boring, a few shots, a raging fever, the usual. You?"

"Lanie still doesn't know if there's actually been a murder, but I think you should make Sam Wallace a character in one of your books. I've never seen anyone like him before."

"I don't think I can outwrite Charles Dickens, but I appreciate the compliment." Rick took her hand and held it to his cheek. "I'm really glad you're here."

Kate leaned down to kiss his lips.

Greg knocked on the door jamb. "If you two are all right, I'm going to go. My number is right by the phone if you need it and Dr. Goldberg said to call him anytime. He said Mr. Castle can probably have a treatment holiday for a few days, but he'll be back in the morning to do blood work."

"Thanks Greg," Castle said with a wave. "I think we'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" Kate asked.

Rick held her hands in his. "I'm sure."

"What have you told Martha?" Kate asked.

"Nothing," Rick answered. "She took some of the actors from her play to the Hamptons on a retreat before they restart rehearsals. Her school is closed down until after New Years. I'm hoping I won't have to tell her anything. What did you tell her before, when I was in the hospital?"

"I told her that you got into something by accident on a case I was working," Kate answered.

"You told her the truth. I guess that will work this time if..."

Kate took his face in her hands. "If nothing. You're going to be fine. I told you before. You don't get out of our engagement that easily."

Their lips met, this time without the interruption of a knock.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

As morning approached, Rick pulled Kate to him and winced. "What's going on, Rick?" Kate asked.

"I don't know," Rick answered. "Just sore."

Kate turned on the lights. "You're bruised," she said.

"There were the shots and Greg said I thrashed around a bit. That probably did it. It's not that bad. Come here."

Kate cuddled into Rick's side cautiously placing a butterfly kiss on a patch of blue. "Mmmmm, that's nice, Rick murmured."

"More?" Kate asked.

"Mmm Hmmm."

Kate's lips healingly caressed every bruise she could find. Rick began to return the sweetness of her touch, but Kate put her fingers to his lips. "Let me do it," she murmured throatily. Holding his face gently in her hands, she kissed the lids that covered the sparks of sapphire. Softly she kissed down his cheeks to the corners of his mouth, taking first the to lip and then the bottom. Her loving attention continued down the line of his jaw to his neck.

Rick tried to bring her closer, but she didn't want to press against the evidence of his pain. "Just be still," she told him. Kate kissed and stroked the evidence of his growing arousal.

Rick couldn't let her do it alone; he reached out, caressing her to an excitement to match his own. "Kate," he growled.

"I don't want to hurt you," she told him. "Let's finish it like this."

Mouths locked together, they traded loving touches. Rick reached his peak first, but continued his attention to Kate until she joined him and they lay calm and replete.

Showering under the most gentle spray and dressing in soft clothes, Castle was ready to greet Dr. Goldberg. "So far it looks like good news," Goldberg told Castle with Beckett listening attentively. "After yesterday's treatment, there was no free toxin in your bloodstream. We are continuing to see the soluble complex, but the shots appear to be effective at controlling the symptoms from that. I'll check your blood this morning and again this evening and monitor the situation."

"How about the bruises he has all over him?" Beckett asked.

"That was to be expected," Goldberg answered. "But if you have any other concerns, give me a call. Otherwise, Mr. Castle should be able to go about his business."

Goldberg drew Castle's blood and gave him another shot. Castle averted his eyes at the sight of the needles, but said nothing as they went in where bruises already bloomed. Beckett watched, biting her lip.

"What are you going to be doing?" Castle asked Beckett after Goldberg departed.

"Until I hear from Lanie," this case is almost dead in the water, Beckett said. "I don't even know if a crime has been committed on anyone other than the American shopper. I was thinking of going to see Wallace's ex-wife."

"Before you do that, how about if we walk the crime scene?"

"We don't know if there is a crime scene, Castle."

"The scene, then. See what Wallace might have been up to."

"OK," Beckett agreed.

Castle was a little slow getting up the four flights of stairs, but didn't seem to be winded. He poked around the tiny apartment with great interest, taking pictures with his cell phone. "Beckett," he asked,"what happened to the cat?"

"What cat, Castle? There was never a cat in here. There's no litter box and no cat hair."

"But there is a shelf full of cat food," Castle told her.

"Maybe he was feeding a cat for a neighbor," Beckett suggested.

Castle gave her a skeptical look. "He didn't seem to be the kind of guy who does favors for his neighbors. He certainly didn't do any for his employees. Most of them are on food stamps."

"You have a point," Beckett agreed. "It is strange. Maybe his ex can shed some light."

Mariah Wallace had a good divorce lawyer. Her posh apartment on Central Park West was as different from her ex-husband's abode as a Rodeo Drive boutique is from Wallace Marts. She showed no evidence of grief at her ex-husband's passing, just a concern that Deborah should come into a trust fund Sam was supposed to have set up."

"Ms. Wallace," Beckett asked, "can you tell us what your ex-husband was like?"

"He was a miserly, mean-spirited son-of-a-bitch," Mariah exclaimed. "And those were his good qualities. He was never there for Deborah or me. He treated his employees and his customers like dirt. He blackmailed his suppliers into moving their production overseas and bribed officials to let him put his stores where they would destroy local commerce. He only cared about making money but he was never willing to spend any of it on himself or anyone else. The day he died should be declared a holiday."

Beckett and Castle rose to leave. "Just one more thing, Ms. Wallace," Castle asked, "did Sam like cats?"

Mariah almost guffawed in disbelief. "He didn't like cats, dogs, gerbils, or any other kind of a pet. He said they were parasites on humanity. He just liked making money selling cheap pet food."

Lanie called as they were on their way to the 12th, so Beckett and Castle made a detour to the morgue. Kate touched Rick's arm before they went in. "Rick, Lanie knows what's going on." Rick nodded.

"How are you doing, writer man?" Lanie asked as Castle and Beckett came through the door. "I'm OK, Lanie," Castle told her. "Tell me we have a murder to solve."

"I still don't know if it was murder," Lanie said. "But I know what killed Sam Wallace. It was melamine."

"Isn't that the stuff that killed all those pets that ate contaminated Chinese pet food?" Castle asked.

"It is," Lanie confirmed. "Wallace had so much of it in him, he must have been eating it every day."

"That food wasn't for a cat," Castle started.

"He was eating it himself," Castle and Beckett finished in tandem.

Lanie smiled. "You're so cute when you do that."

"But where would he get it?" Castle asked. "That stuff was all supposed to have been recalled and destroyed."

"That's your problem," Lanie said. "I told you what killed him. You have to figure out how he got it."

As Beckett settled at her desk to figure out what kind of interminable paperwork she would have to file to find out where the contaminated cat food had come from, Castle sat in his chair beside her. "A billionaire dies from eating cat food!" Castle exclaimed. "I love this case!"

Beckett started to make a snide comment, but looking at his joyful grin, decided to withhold it.

After hours of slogging through paperwork with, surprise of surprise, Castle actually helping, Beckett and Castle picked up some Thai food and returned to the loft. Not long after they finished eating, Dr Goldberg arrived, told them that Castle's blood work from the morning still looked good, drew more blood, and gave Castle another shot.

It looked to Rick as if Kate was feeling it more than he was. "A few more of these and I can audition for a 'Hellraiser' movie he quipped. I could give Pinhead a run for his money." Rick was rewarded with a small smile from Kate.

Goldberg reiterated that Castle should call if he had any concerns and said that he'd be back in the morning.

Rick lounged on the couch with his feet up on a stool and Kate nestled beside him. "Alone at last," he said, an instant before there was a light knock on the door.

Kate got up to answer it and Jackson Hunt strode in. "Doing OK Richard?" he asked without introduction.

"I'm fine, Dad."

"If you call getting therapy that hurts like hell and leaves bruises all over his body fine," Kate interjected.

Rick leaned down and kissed her hair. "It's OK," he soothed. "Really."

"I've been talking to the Israelis," Jackson told them. "They were working on an antidote in case any of the terrorist groups in the area got hold of the toxin. They said it's different than the US version. There isn't any in this country but I've got some coming by diplomatic pouch. It should be here in a couple of days." Jackson handed Rick a number. "This is my burner. You know what to text if you need me?"

"Casino Royale," Rick said.

Jackson nodded and left without further comment.

Kate cuddled up to Rick once again. "We'll try this one more time," he said. "Alone at last."

The loft was blessedly silent.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Rick lay quietly in the dark watching the occasional flashes of city lights that leaked in the windows. He held Kate close, gently stroking her arm. Kate's lashes fluttered. "Are you OK?"

"I was just thinking," Rick said, "If Wallace was poisoned by that cat food, was anyone else? I'm thinking seniors or just people down on their luck."

"That's a chilling question," Kate said pulling closer to Rick's body. "I don't know how we'd find out."

"Maybe Dr. Death," Rick suggested.

"Who?"

"I'm sorry Kate. I used to call him that when he helped me with research for my books. Dr. Clark Murray, the one who figured out what happened to..."

"My mother," Kate finished.

Rick turned Kate's face to his. "I am sorry, I shouldn't have brought him up. It was thoughtless."

"No," Kate said, "you're right. He is the best forensic pathologist in the city. We should call him - later. Right now the last thing I want to think about is death."

"You sound like Esposito," Rick told her.

"I don't think you'd want to do this with Esposito," Kate teased, bringing her lips to his.

"I don't think so either," Rick teased back. "Lanie might get jealous."

They came together with upturned mouths, determined to start the day on a joyful note, drawing strength from each others' encouragement. Kate straddled Rick, studying his face.

"See anything you like?" he asked.

"You," she whispered huskily, holding his face and threading her fingers into his hair. "All of you."

Rick reached up, gently brushing her lips with his fingertips. "You're not so bad yourself."

Kate took Rick in deeply as he cupped her breasts, replacing his hands with his mouth as the pink tips hardened to urgent sensitivity. They held tightly to each other as every motion created more need, growing and spreading through them until it shattered, the remnants a warming flood washing over their skins. Rick held Kate until the first streaks of pink light intruded into the stillness.

Dr. Goldberg arrived with continued good news. Rick's tests from the night before looked stable. He used a fine butterfly needle to draw Rick's blood, which was much less likely to cause any further damage, and administered what had now become the familiar shot. Rick found that he hardly minded. He was feeling good and ready to chase bad guys.

Before he did that, Castle and Beckett agreed that it would be a good idea to see a good guy, Dr. Murray. He met them at the morgue, where Lanie shared her findings with him. "I can't say that I have personally seen this kind of kidney failure," Murray said. "I will check back through the files and see if I can find something that someone missed, but this would be pretty obvious. I can let you know."

At the 12th, Beckett found that she had received some replies from the stack of paperwork she and Castle had prepared. The information was confounding. According to everything she had received so far, the stores of contaminated pet food had been carefully segregated at each Wallace Mart, brought to a central location and hauled off to a landfill. There shouldn't have been any for Sam Wallace to eat.

"Obviously someone's lying," Castle said.

"We may have someone who's lied already," Beckett speculated.

"I think I may still be a little slow," Castle told her. "Who?"

"Percy Wellbottom. He acted like he loved Sam Wallace."

Castle grinned. "But nobody loved Sam Wallace!"

"Let's bring him in." Beckett said.

Percy Wellbottom sat across from Beckett and Castle in the box, mopping his brow with a large handkerchief.

"Mr. Wellbottom, do you know why you're here?" Beckett asked.

Tears began to leak from Percy's eyes. "You found out," he sobbed.

"So you admit to poisoning Sam Wallace?"

Percy sat up straight in his chair, eyes wide. "No! What are you talking about? I didn't poison Mr. Wallace."

"What did you do?" Castle asked.

Percy just sobbed into his now sopping handkerchief.

"Mr. Wellbottom," Beckett told him. "If you cooperate, I can help you. Otherwise..."

Percy twisted the handkerchief and drops of water fell on the table. "I just took a few things. Mr. Wallace was so concerned with keeping every cent away from his suppliers and his employees, he never paid much attention to what I did. If someone needed a new chair, I got the old one instead of having it sold off. If there were some damaged appliances, I got them instead of having them shipped to the outlet store. It helped me furnish my apartment. I never could have done on my own with what Wallace Marts pays.

Beckett and Castle looked at each other in bemusement.

"Mr. Wellbottom," Beckett said. "I'm a homicide cop. I don't care how you furnished your apartment. I'm willing to let all of this go, if you help me."

Percy drew a deep breath, slightly punctuated by sobs, in relief. "What can I do?" he asked.

"Wallace had contaminated cat food that according to the official story went to landfill. I need to find out what really happened to it."

Wellbottom nodded enthusiastically. "Done."

"Beckett," Castle asked after Wellbottom had departed, "how would you feel about going to dinner? I'd say dinner and a movie but we don't have time before I have to meet up with Captain Hypodermic."

"Anything but cat food," Beckett answered.

"How about Q3?" Castle asked.

"You want to see Madison Keller, Castle?" Beckett asked."Be careful how you answer."

"You're jealous," Castle jibed. "I love that. Actually I want to see Jennifer Wong's oven roasted glazed pork belly, or better still taste it. She just got a great review in the Ledger."

"You just keep your eyes on your food," Beckett threatened, with an almost imperceptible quirk to her mouth.

Madison Keller, owner of Q3, met them at the door, glanced admiringly at Beckett's ring and made sure they were seated at a good table. They were served with a pair of amuse-bouches, perfect bites which they fed to each other. Jennifer Wong's food was even better than its review and the meal ended with a plate of perfect, succulent fruits.

The return to the loft and arrival of Dr. Goldberg came too soon. Goldberg was cautious in his news. The amount of complex was starting to decrease, which accounted for Castle's increased vigor, but the lab had detected infinitesimal traces of toxin. They would be keeping a close eye on that. Goldberg cautioned Castle to call at any onset of symptoms, went through his usual routine and left.

"That was a mood killer," Kate said.

Rick pulled her under his chin and kissed the top of her head. "I feel fine," he said, "better than fine." Rick swept Kate up in his arms.

"Rick, where are we going?" Kate asked.

"The bedroom, definitely the bedroom."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The bullet from Emma's gun entered Castle's chest with burning pain and crushing pressure. This time there was no "I" to dot, no vest to protect him. Castle was knocked back, the air forced from his lungs. He lay fighting for a breath.

Beckett heard the gasping beside her. "Castle! Rick!" She held his head in her hands, trying to rouse him. His eyes opened, but his breathing was still labored. Beckett pushed all the pillows behind him, propping him almost vertical as they had done in the hospital. It seemed to help a little. "Rick, talk to me. What's happening?"

"I was dreaming Emma shot me and I couldn't breathe, but I'm awake now and I still can't get any air. It's like someone is sitting on me, and not in a nice way."

"I can't believe you're joking about it," Beckett told him. "I'm calling Dr. Goldberg."

Castle grabbed her hand. "Stay with me a minute first."

"I'm going to get the phone and I'll be right back. It will just be a second."

Beckett sat on the bed as she called both Goldberg and Greg. Both told her they'd be coming immediately. She hastily pulled on clothes and returned to Castle who clung tightly to her hand until Goldberg arrived with a portable oxygen generator and a medical transport worker to take a blood sample to the lab.

"The oxygen should help you feel better. Your last test results weren't bad," Goldberg told Castle. "Something must have happened during the night."

"Yuh think?" Beckett interjected sarcastically.

Goldberg ignored her comment, drawing blood and handing it over for transport. Greg arrived not long afterward. Goldberg took him aside. "I'm waiting on test results," he told him, "but go ahead and set up for another chelation treatment. I don't see doing anything else at this point."

It took almost two hours before the test results appeared on Goldberg's phone. There had been a considerable rise in the amount of pure toxin in Castle's bloodstream. He told Castle and Beckett that he would have to start another chelation treatment immediately.

"Kate," Castle said.

"I'm not leaving again," she told him. "You didn't leave me when I was standing on a bomb. I'm not leaving you. I'll go in the other room. I'll work here with my phone and my laptop, but I'm not leaving. I'm just as stubborn as you are."

Castle smiled wanly. "I have noticed that. Actually I think you outdo me by some margin. Stay. Just not in here, for now. Greg can get you when I'm ready."

Beckett nodded and left the room. Following her usual strategy in stressful situations, she turned to work. A call to Clark Murray revealed that he had found several deaths that might have been the result of eating contaminated cat food, but they had occurred either before the recall or just shortly afterward, when people might have been consuming what they had already bought.

Remembering Mariah Wallace's mention of a trust fund for her daughter Deborah, Beckett called Esposito. She asked him to get financials on the Winters and e-mail them to her so that she could study them on her laptop. She asked Percy Wellbottom to e-mail any information he gathered to her as well.

Nothing really popped on the Winters. They didn't appear to be in a deep financial hole, but they weren't doing any better than their apartment indicated. They were scraping by, as so many couples did, just not usually couples who were related to billionaires.

The day dragged. Greg came out a few times to grab a quick coffee or a snack and tell her that Castle was holding up pretty well. Dr. Goldberg left in the mid-afternoon, after telling Beckett that he thought things had gone pretty well and that Greg was doing a great job taking care of Castle. Finally as darkness approached, Greg called Beckett into the bedroom.

Rick was awake and alert. "How did you spend your day?' he asked.

"I was working on the case while you were lazing around in bed," she told him.

"Well you can come up here now and laze around with me." Rick suggested.

Kate glanced at Greg who smiled and nodded. Kate slipped under the covers next to Rick as Greg quietly left the room and closed the door.

"How are you doing?" Kate asked.

"I'm OK. Goldberg put me in some kind of twilight sleep for most of it, so I didn't feel that much, but he told me I might later. I don't think he really knows. I'll just have to deal with whatever happens."

"_We'll _deal with it," Kate corrected. "You feel up to talking about the case?"

"Please."

"The good news is that the recall actually seemed to be effective but Dr. Murray did find several deaths that might be attributed to the cat food. Those people and their families deserve some kind of justice as much or more than Sam Wallace does."

"Those deaths would just be in New York City," Castle mused "There were probably deaths like that all over the country. There must be something we can do about that."

"I love you for thinking about all of those people," Kate told him, lightly brushing his face, "but we need to finish the Wallace case first. Since the cat food really was recalled, even from Wallace Mart, we need to figure out how he got it. Percy sent me a list of everyone who would have had access in the area. One name jumps out, Paul Winters, Deborah's husband."

"Do you have a motive?" Castle asked.

"Nothing obvious," Kate answered. "Any brilliant Castle theories?"

Rick twisted strands of Kate's hair lightly around his fingers."Not yet. I need inspiration. I need my muse."

Kate stroked a finger down the stubble just forming on his jaw. "Your muse is at your service."

Their contact was gentle, as Kate ran her fingers over his face and kissed him tentatively. He stroked the velvet of her skin, enjoying the softness and the warmth. She laid her head on his shoulder, snuggling into his side and caressing his bare chest. Rick brought his arms around her and she lay engulfed, listening to the gentle rhythm of his breathing and the beat of his heart. Together, almost as one being, they fell into gentle healing slumber.

A/N Today, as I write this, although I won't post until tomorrow, it's my birthday. Last March, on Nathan Fillion's birthday, I pledged to help raise money for Charity Water on mine. I'm keeping my promise. This is the site. water-for-fiction


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Castle really felt in need of a shower. Moving slowly and carefully both because of sore muscles and as to not wake Kate, he got up and headed for the bathroom. Kate immediately sensed his absence. "Rick," she called, "are you all right?"

"Fine," he answered, "just, ugh, sweaty."

"Can I help?" Kate asked.

"There might be some places I can't reach," he answered. "Just give me a minute to rinse off first."

Rick had stood for a few minutes under the gently falling water when Kate opened the door to the enclosure to join him. She noted the new splotches of blue on his skin. Rejecting the abrasiveness of a loofah or nylon puff, she grabbed a cloth of soft terry and building a gentle lather began to wash his back and shoulders. "Mmmm," Rick breathed as his muscles relaxed under her touch, "That feels so good."

Wanting to return the favor, Rick worked sparkly bubbles between his hands and began to apply them to Kate's skin. As he reached her breasts, Kate looked down and quipped, "I can see that you're feeling better."

Rick softly kissed her damp mouth. "You always make me feel better." He pulled her to him but as their passion rose, Kate pushed away.

"I don't want to climb on you this morning," she said. "I have an idea." Quickly wrapping in a towel for a moment, she went to Castle's office and returned with a small molded plastic step stool used to reach his highest bookshelves. Setting it on the floor of the shower, she mounted the two shallow steps. It was the rare occasion that she and Castle were actually eye to eye. They fit as if carved out of the same piece of wood. Rick held Kate tightly enough to keep her from slipping off the stool, but they moved together, warming each other as the water warmed them both. Whatever passion had been lost in the short pause returned and grew until the final moment. Kate would have tumbled from her perch had Rick not held her. They rested in each others' arms as the water continued to sluice off their slowly cooling bodies.

Over lattes in the kitchen, Castle asked, "Precinct?"

Beckett shook her head. "I'm not on shift today and they're not approving overtime if they don't have to. The commissioner has got to make his cuts somewhere. We can work with the info I have on my laptop. You haven't seen it yet. Or we can relax a little. Wallace still hasn't officially been ruled a homicide."

"How about," Castle proposed, "we do a little of both? I can make us a proper breakfast and we can look at the case afterward."

"Sounds good to me," Beckett agreed.

Castle was just making a smiley face of fruit for Beckett when the doorbell rang. Castle grimaced. "Goldberg! I forgot he was coming this morning."

Goldberg went through his usual routine with Castle, but seemed to put a little more emphasis on his urge to call if anything happened. "Did he seem a little off to you?" Beckett asked Castle after Goldberg was out the door.

"Maybe," Castle told her, "but I'm sure he'd tell me if there were any new developments. He's been very straight with me so far."

Beckett looked unsure and Castle gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. Beckett ate in thoughtful silence, finally depositing her plate in the dishwasher.

Castle caressed Kate's cheek. "Show me the file on Paul Winters," he told her.

Using his wi fi printer, Castle made a hard copy of all of Beckett's information on Paul Winters and stretched out on the couch to peruse it. "Beckett," he asked, "do Paul and Deborah Winters have any children?"

"I don't know, Castle. Why?" Beckett asked.

"I've seen some electronics purchases and clothing on their credit cards that might be for a teenager, but there is no savings account, no college fund, nothing that parents should have for a child that age. Mariah was worried about Deborah coming into her trust fund. I wonder if that's why."

"That's a good question, Castle." Beckett called Ryan, who was on shift that morning and asked him to find out more about the Winters family situation and any trust fund set up for Deborah Winters.

"It may be a while until we hear from Ryan, Castle, what would you like to do?" Beckett asked.

"Beckett," Castle asked, "have you ever heard of MST3K?"

"You mean the series that showed incredibly bad movies which were heckled by robots?"

"That was it," Castle affirmed. "I have DVDs. We could even throw popcorn at the screen."

Beckett smiled. Sometimes she forgot just how capable Castle was of childlike innocence. "Sure, I'd love to."

Castle put on a DVD of "This Island Earth," MST3K style. It featured a group of aliens from the planet Metaluna, all of whom had impressive heads of white hair and high foreheads but managed to convince a group prominent scientists that they were human. The aliens were trying to recruit the brightest Earth minds to help them in their war. Castle and Beckett got into the spirit of the heckling, making sarcastic comments at the screen, throwing popcorn when something seemed particularly silly, and popping fluffy white kernels into each others' mouths between heckling sessions.

When they were finished, Castle quickly cleaned up the mess with the loft's central vacuum system and lay contentedly with his head in Beckett's lap until Ryan called. Ryan told Beckett that the Winters had a daughter, a senior in high school. There was a trust fund that would come to Deborah only on her father's death.

"Sam probably wanted to make sure he couldn't take it with him," Castle commented dryly. "But we have the story, Beckett. Paul Winters wants to send his daughter to college but he can't afford it. His skinflint father-in-law won't help his only grandchild. Winters has access to contaminated cat food which he knows his father-in-law eats and he makes sure the bastard gets it. Deborah comes into her trust fund, problem solved."

"That's a great story, Castle," Beckett said. "But it's also pure conjecture. We have no proof that Sam Wallace didn't get the food himself. We need to talk to Paul Wallace."

"Now?" Castle asked.

"No," Beckett said patting her lap as she sat back on the couch. "Tomorrow is soon enough."

A/N Thank you so much for the birthday greetings. As at least one of you noticed, the universe smiled on me and I got a happy birthday tweet from Nathan Fillion, so yes, it was a great birthday.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Castle's cell phone buzzed. He reached for it sleepily, noting the time, six A.M.. The message was terse, "the pouch is in," with the caller identified as merely "Casino Royale."

"What is it?" Beckett asked, eyes barely open.

"It looks like my father got the antidote from the Israelis."

"Are you going to try it?"

"I don't know. I want to see what Goldberg says this morning. I feel pretty good."

"Just how good?" Kate asked, making a pattern with her fingertip in the "V" of his t-shirt.

Rick cupped her face. "You tell me."

They came together playfully, fingers sneaking under clothing and lips finding places not usually explored. Rick's t-shirt became a hood for Kate as she covered Rick's skin with teasing kisses underneath it while he slipped his hand under her waistband to stroke her to excitement. The play soon became more serious and the clothes were pulled away. Kisses became deeper and touches more urgent and probing. Kate straddled Rick, rejoicing as he filled her. Kate moved as Rick caressed her. She could feel the waves building and joined her mouth to his for the final crest, collapsing on his broad chest to be lovingly held in his arms.

Kate raised her head when she could speak again,"I'd say very good."

Beckett held her latte between her hands, running her fingers restlessly over the ceramic surface as she and Castle awaited Dr. Goldberg's arrival. "Mr. Castle," Goldberg began after they had exchanged pleasantries. "Your results from last night were somewhat inconclusive. We'll be looking closely at this morning's sample."

"Dr. Goldberg," Beckett said. "I've been doing interrogations for ten years and believe me I know when someone is holding something back. What aren't you telling us?"

"There are some indications that the chelation may not be holding," Goldberg explained. "As I said, the results are inconclusive. We'll just have to watch and see."

"What if there were another solution?" Castle asked. "I have a reason to believe that you aren't the only one working on this problem."

"Mr. Castle," Goldberg said. "If that is true, I certainly know nothing about it. However, if there is another treatment, it may not be compatible with what we are doing, it may be ineffective, or it may be deadly. I have no way to make that determination. Right now I believe we are pursuing the best course available."

Goldberg took Castle's blood, administered a shot, and left without further comment. Kate threw her arms around Rick and clung. He slipped a hand under her chin turning her face upward so that hazel eyes met blue. "It's going to be OK," he said, and lightly kissed her lips.

Beckett arranged to have Paul Winters brought to the 12th. She and Castle sat opposite him in the box.

"Mr. Winters, were you aware of a recall of contaminated pet food?" Beckett asked.

"Yes," Winters answered.

"Were you the one in charge of removing that pet food, specifically the cat food from the New York Wallace Marts?"

"I oversaw the operation," Winters answered. "Why?"

Beckett ignored the question and continued. "Was any of that cat food left behind in a New York Wallace Mart?"

"Not that I'm aware of," Winters answered. "Again, why?"

"Mr. Winters, your father-in-law died from eating that cat food and I believe that you gave it to him."

"I'm not answering any more questions," Winters said.

"That got us nowhere," Beckett told Castle after Winters had been released.

"Beckett," Castle said, "I don't think he did it, but I think he knows who did. He looked surprised and upset, but he didn't look guilty. He's protecting someone."

"You may be right, Castle," Beckett agreed. "But who? I need more."

Beckett called Percy Wellbottom and told him that she needed a list of every person who might have conceivably had contact with the cat food. He fussed that he was doing the best that he could, but told her he'd get back to her as soon as possible.

Castle sat in his chair at Beckett's desk as she caught up on her paperwork. By the end of her shift, she could see that he was beginning to flag. "You OK, Castle?" she asked.

"Fine," he said. "I think I just need another one of Goldberg's magical shots."

At Beckett's urging Castle arranged for Goldberg to meet them at the loft, a couple of hours earlier than usual. Goldberg looked concerned, but did not offer any further information or advice.

"I need to contact my father," Castle said as soon as Goldberg left.

"Castle," You heard what Goldberg said about that this morning. "Whatever the Israelis did, it could make things worse, it could kill you. Please, no."

"What if we just have the stuff here? Kate, just in case."

Against her better judgment, Kate nodded, closed her eyes and pressed her cheek against Rick's chest.

Jackson Hunt could not have been far away. He arrived ten minutes after Castle sent a text and handed Castle a small vial labeled in Hebrew and a small, handwritten sheet of paper. "What's this?" Castle asked, indicating the paper.

"Translation of the label," Hunt told him. "Hebrew's a pretty important language in my business."

"Thanks," Castle said, extending an arm. They shook hands awkwardly and Hunt left.

"Now what, Castle?" Beckett asked.

"Beckett, how about a hotdog?"

Castle and Beckett walked arm in arm the four blocks to the nearest hot dog vendor, a push cart with an umbrella boldly labeled Nathan's. Castle piled his high with every condiment available, creating an overflow held back by several strategic napkins. Beckett settled on simple dark mustard. There were no fries available, but there were large soft pretzels. Beckett insisted on mustard on her pretzel as well. They ate on their way back to the loft.

"Why so much mustard, Kate?" Rick asked closing the door.

"I like it spicy."

"Was there something besides mustard you had in mind?" Rick asked, swiping at a smear at the corner of her mouth and licking his finger.

"I think," Kate told him, undoing the top button of his shirt, "I'm going to have to show you."

A/N Thanks for all the lovely comments. For those who haven't seen them, there really are Nathan's hotdogs. As far as I know, no relation. It tickled me when I had one at the theater when I saw "Monsters University."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Beckett woke to the sound of rustling in the loft. Covering with Castle's shirt and grabbing her weapon from the nightstand, she went to investigate. She could dimly see a figure against the softly twinkling lights of the Christmas tree. "Hold it right there!" she ordered.

Alexis raised her hands. "Kate, it's me! I just wanted to put some presents I bought under the tree before I have to get ready for class."

Beckett lowered her gun as they both exhaled in relief. "Sorry Alexis, cop reflexes. It's nice to see you."

Beckett turned on the lights as a hastily robed Castle came out, rubbing his eyes. "Don't take it personally," he told Alexis, noting the gun in Beckett's hand. "She drew a gun on me when I dropped in on her in D.C. too." Castle kissed Alexis on the forehead. "To what do we owe the visit?'

"No visit, Dad. Just dropping stuff off. I didn't even mean to wake you. I have to go. I have an early class." Alexis quickly left the loft.

"Beckett," Castle said, "you better not pull a gun on Santa Claus. We'll all get coal in our stockings."

"Rick, I wouldn't pull a gun on Santa Claus." Kate played with the belt of Rick's robe. "I do love opening presents."

Rick eased the shirt off Kate's shoulder. "I do too. Maybe we can open them together."

As wrapping paper carefully peeled from a treasure, the coverings were pushed back in loving exploration. Fingertips brushed bare skin, leaving sparks of sensation to be fanned by lips and tongue. The fire flared, bringing their bodies together in collision. The bedroom was miles away and the couch barely reachable. They fell against the pillows, sweeping them to the floor. The need was overwhelming as they moved together, reaching ever deeper for both the heat and the final quenching. Kate screamed in triumph as it finally came and collapsed in Rick's arms.

"I must remember to thank Santa," Rick said when his breath returned.

Castle made extra strong coffee as he waited for Dr. Goldberg to arrive. The start of the morning had been both energizing and exhausting and he had an idea about the case he wanted to try. The doctor was prompt but uninformative, giving both Castle and Beckett a feeling of unease

The atmosphere at the 12th, both busy and festive, was welcome. Captain Gates had encouraged decorations as long as they weren't too intrusive and didn't, as she said, "embarrass the department." The mistletoe hung in the same spot in front of the elevator as it had the year before. Instead of passing it by, Rick pulled Kate back into the elevator, pushed the door close button, and kissed her. "What Captain Gates doesn't see, can't hurt us," Rick said before opening the doors again. Kate smoothed her hair into place to amused looks from Esposito and Ryan.

"Beckett," Castle asked. "Is the cat food still at Sam Wallace's apartment, or was it taken into evidence?"

"It's in evidence, Castle, why?"

"The recall was by serial number. If we check the serial numbers on the cans, and compare them with the records, we may be able to figure out exactly who was in charge of them."

"Castle," Beckett told him, "that is surprisingly down to earth and practical. We can give it a shot."

"Maybe we can get fingerprints off the cans as well?" Castle offered.

"We can try," Beckett agreed.

With gloved hands, Beckett and Castle got the serial numbers off the cans and sent them to be dusted for prints. Beckett perused her latest information from Percy Wellbottom. "Castle," she said, the person in charge of inventory of these cans wasn't Paul Winters, it was Deborah Winters."

Once more Beckett and Castle had a Winters in the box. Deborah looked very uneasy. "Mrs. Winters, Beckett said, "you had charge of the disposal of cans of contaminated cat food with these serial numbers. What did you do with them?" Beckett pushed a printout across the table for Deborah to see.

"They went to a central collection to go to landfill," Deborah answered.

"Then that landfill was in your father's kitchen," Castle said.

Deborah Winters blanched and tears began to well in her eyes. "All right, my sonofabitch father wanted cat food, I got it for him. He could have had lobster every night. If the old miser wanted to eat cat food, that was on him."

"Unfortunately Mrs. Winters," Beckett told her, "it's on you. Deborah Winters, you are under arrest for the murder of Samuel Wallace."

"That was disappointing," Castle said after Deborah had been taken to holding. "Killing her father for money, not exactly an original motive."

"Cheer up Castle," Beckett said, "at least it was an original murder weapon."

Castle nodded thoughtfully. "It was that. So, you closed the case. Home?"

"_We_ closed the case, Castle. The serial numbers were your idea, but home sounds perfect."

Castle and Beckett stopped on the way to the loft to pick up soup at the establishment made famous by the "Soup Nazi." They drank the warm liquid from large mugs in front of the fire."Something about this case just isn't right," Castle told Beckett as he stared into the flames.

"Because you didn't like the motive, Castle?"

"No, because it was too easy. This is another one like the Millenium Falcon escaping the Death Star."

"Deborah confessed, Castle. Who do you think did it?"

"I have no idea, but we're missing something."

"If it makes you feel better, we'll review the case tomorrow, unless another body drops."

Rick gave Kate a quick kiss. "Thank you."

Dr. Goldberg was no more illuminating than he had been in the morning. Rick found that the shot was less effective than it had been, but said nothing to Kate. After an evening in which Kate caught up with Temptation Lane with only mild annoyance at Rick's comments, Kate drowsed contentedly in Rick's arms.

"Oh my God! Rick!' Kate exclaimed. The bed shook as Rick's body was wracked with shudders. Kate tried to wrap the comforter around him and lunged for her phone. Goldberg arrived within twenty minutes, which seemed like hours to Kate. He gave Rick an anti-convulsive, which quieted the spasms, but didn't bring him to consciousness. "Can't you do anything else?" Kate asked.

"We could do another chelation," Goldberg replied soberly, "but it won't be a long term solution. The toxin is breaking free after a couple of days and more and more is building up in his system. We've been trying to figure out another way, but right now I'm out of ideas. I'm sorry."

"Wait a minute," Kate said, going to Rick's office to retrieve the vial and translation Jackson Hunt had provided.

"What is this?" Goldberg asked.

"This is the other solution Rick mentioned. It's an antidote developed by the Israelis. We were told it is based on a different technology."

"Told by whom?"

"An intelligence asset. I can't tell you more than that except that I believe he wants to help Rick."

Goldberg regarded the vial and accompanying sheet with skepticism. Rick moaned and tossed on the bed. Kate ran to him, holding his face in her hands and smoothing back his hair. "Dr. Goldberg, please. I know Rick would want you to try."

"All right, Goldberg agreed, but get that nurse in here. I have no idea what may happen and I may need some help."

Greg McClintock seemed to take a call in the middle of the night in stride, coming quickly to the loft. Goldberg was able to administer the antidote well before sunrise. There was no magic. Castle's fever spiked and his blood pressure fell to dangerous levels. Goldberg and Greg McClintock worked hard to stabilize him. As the first streaks of pink light fell on his face, Castle was deathly pale and covered in sweat, but resting calmly. Kate sat at his side holding his hand. She called in sick and Greg brought her coffee a couple of times, but she never left Rick. Goldberg drew several blood samples during the day and sent them by messenger to the lab. As twilight descended Rick opened his eyes.

"Kate, hi. What happened?"

Kate looked at Goldberg and Greg. "Can you give us a minute?"

Goldberg motioned to Greg. "We'll be right outside," Goldberg told her.

"The chelation was breaking down and you were having convulsions. I asked Dr. Goldberg to give you the stuff your father brought. You've been out for almost twenty-four hours."

"Did it work?"

"Goldberg's waiting on test results, but you're still alive."

"How are you doing?"

"Fine, but I used up a sick day."

"Sorry," Rick smiled. "I know how you hate that."

Kate called Goldberg and Greg back in the room. Goldberg had his phone in his hand. "I have some test results. They look good. The toxin and the complex appear to be cleared. We'll watch it for a few days, but I'm hopeful."

Kate and Rick spooned through the night.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Kate felt Rick's motion at her back and turned to face him. "Are you all right?" she asked. "Greg's on the couch. I can call him."

"I'm fine," Rick told her, "just hungry."

"Seriously?"

"I meant food," Rick told her.

"I can get you something," Kate offered.

"No," Rick proclaimed. "I want to cook."

Kate steadied Rick as he wobbled a bit getting out of bed, but he got his legs under him and joyfully proceeded to the kitchen. Greg sat up on the couch, blinking awake. "OK, Mr. Castle?" he asked.

"Just makin' breakfast," Castle informed him. Greg and Beckett looked at each other and she smiled and shrugged. Castle arranged the makings for pancakes for three and made lattes while the batter rested. Castle, Beckett and Greg ate companionably at the counter.

"Mr. Castle," Greg said when they'd finished. "Dr. Goldberg asked me to draw your blood this morning and send it to the lab. He also left some medication for you, if you need it. If you're all right, I'll take off after I get your sample, but you can call if you need anything."

"Greg, please, go home and see your beautiful lady," Castle told him. "Thank you for hanging in with me."

As Greg was leaving, Beckett threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you," she said and kissed his cheek.

Rick headed back toward the bedroom. "Rick? Kate called.

"I just need a hot shower. I've got twenty-four hours worth of sweat and my muscles are still a little stiff."

"I need one too," Kate said. "Can I join you?"

"Always," Rick replied, stroking her cheek.

The hot water was helpful, but there were still places that Kate washed because Rick had difficulty reaching them. "I have an idea," she said as they were toweling off. "Why don't I give you a massage?"

"That's usually my line," Rick teased.

"Tit for tat," she told him. "Lie down."

"Can we change the sheets first? They're as sweaty as we were."

Kate shook her head and rolled her eyes, but helped Rick make the change. A comforting fresh scent drifted up from the new linens and Rick relaxed into them.

Kate began at Rick's shoulders. She was always amazed at how much muscle he had. It wouldn't necessarily be expected of a writer, but she knew that he was also an avid fencer and practiced yoga, which seemed to keep him in shape. The fibers were knotted under her fingers but relaxed at her touch and she worked her way down his broad back to his legs. "Still stiff?" Kate asked.

"My muscles, no" Rick told her with a grin.

"Really? Kate asked.

Rick turned over so that she could see.

Kate smiled. "Something else to massage."

"I think we can massage each other," Rick suggested, reaching up to bring Kate to him.

Kate was tentative, but Rick was not. Thrusting his fingers through her hair, he brought her lips to his, tasting deeply of her unique flavor. He drew the skin of her neck into his mouth, marking her and kissing it away. Drawing back her robe, he caressed the scar between her breasts before touching it with the gentlest of kisses.

Kate stroked him, lightly at first, but more urgently as the excitement took her. As a dewdrop touched her fingers, she brought him to her and they reached completion together.

"Wow!" Rick exclaimed. "I think I need another shower."

"I think we both do," Kate agreed.

When Castle and Beckett were dressed and working on their second round of lattes, Lanie texted that she had some information on the Wallace case. "You up to go see Lanie, Castle?" Beckett asked.

He kissed her nose. "I'm up for anything."

Lanie looked Beckett and Castle up and down as they arrived at the morgue. "Girl, for someone who called in sick yesterday, you look pretty good," Lanie told Beckett. Beckett and Castle looked at each other. "Oh, I get it," Lanie said. "How are you doing, Castle?"

"Ready to rock, Lanie. What have you got?"

"What I've got, is the fingerprints from the cans. There are two sets. Care to guess whose?"

"Sam Wallace and Deborah Winters?" Beckett ventured.

"Sam Wallace and Clara Winters, Deborah's daughter."

"Deborah Winters confessed to protect her daughter!" Beckett and Castle exclaimed together.

"Ooooh!" Lanie hooted. "I just love the way you guys do that!"

"You going to bring Clara Winters in?" Castle asked Beckett on the way to the 12th.

"Yes, but I want to talk to Deborah and Clara together."

Beckett and Castle sat across the table from Deborah and Clara Winters. Deborah looked determined, but Clara just looked scared. "Mrs. Winters," you told us that you gave the contaminated cans of cat food to your father, is that correct?" Beckett asked.

"Yes," Deborah affirmed.

"Mom, what are you talking about?" Clara interjected. "You didn't have those cans. I was taking care of them as part of my internship to study health issues. Grandpa came and asked me for them. I told him no and put them on the truck. Then I went to lunch. Someone must have taken them while I was gone, but you were in a meeting. I thought maybe you were covering for Dad, but he told me he didn't do it."

"The only fingerprints on those cans were Sam's and Clara's," Beckett said.

"That filthy old skinflint!" Deborah exclaimed. "He took those cans himself. The bastard killed himself!"

"Clara," Castle asked, "did anyone see you at lunch?"

"I had lunch with a couple of other interns. I did that every day. I also used one of those pre-loaded cards that the mart sells. There should be a record of it."

Beckett had Ryan and Esposito confirm Clara's story and arranged for Deborah's release.

"Well you were right. Deborah didn't do it. Paul tried to cover for Deborah and Deborah tried to cover for Clara, when all the time Sam was actually done in by his own greed. You must be feeling pretty good about this case, Castle. It's a great story." Beckett said as they cleared the murder board.

"About finding out that Wallace did it to himself, yes. About the other people who died, no. There's got to be something I can do about that."

"Take your victories where you can find them, Castle. It's been a good day."

Castle squeezed Beckett's hand. "Yes, it has."

That evening at the loft, Dr. Goldberg arrived and Rachel McCord was with him. "I have some very good news, Mr. Castle," Goldberg announced. "The sample Greg McClintock took this morning shows your blood to be clear of all toxin and all complex. From everything I can see, you should be fine."

Kate launched herself at Rick, kissing him with glistening eyes. Rachel McCord coughed and Kate reluctantly let go. "Mr. Castle," we need more of the antidote you took for Mary Elizabeth Reed. The Secretary is willing to accept Mr. Castle's results as evidence of its effectiveness."

"How nice of him," Beckett commented sarcastically.

"Never mind the Secretary, Beckett," Castle said. "His wife is as innocent in this as I was. She needs the help."

"Can't you talk to the Israelis?" Castle asked. "What can we do?"

"We have to go through channels," McCord explained, "and that takes time. We need a meeting with your contact."

"I'll see what I can do," Castle said, and texted "Casino Royale" to Hunt's burner phone.

In less than half an hour there was a knock on the door of the loft. Hunt looked disturbed at the presence of Goldberg and McCord and refused to identify himself, but he listened to Rachel's request and told her that he'd try to have someone contact her. He left abruptly."

"How did you meet him?" McCord asked Castle.

Castle and Beckett locked eyes. "He's an old friend of the family," Castle told Rachel.

"An old friend of the family?" Kate asked Rick, after McCord and Goldberg were gone.

"He certainly is an old friend of Martha's," Rick joked. Rick drew Kate close. "It's nice to have friends."

"Yes," Kate agreed, running her fingers through his hair," it is."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Kate snuggled into Rick's shoulder. Her hand lay across his chest feeling the rise and fall of normal easy breathing. It was the first morning she felt really relaxed in a while and she wanted to savor it. Rick's rhythm changed as he came to wakefulness and took Kate's hand. "Thank you," he said, "for staying with me, for being with me."

"Always," Kate answered.

Rick wanted to explore, to love, every part of her. He felt the silky strands of her hair, kissed her eyes, her cheeks, before coming to her lips. He couldn't drink deeply enough, but there was so much more. He traced the gentle curve of her neck downward to the sensitive indentation in her shoulder. Kate arched and gasped as his tongue dipped into the spot, bringing the scar before his eyes. Memories of the time he almost lost her shot though Rick and he desperately kissed the mark, reassuring himself that she was still there with him. His mouth found first one breast and then the other as his hands reached lower, stroking and caressing.

Kate pressed against his hand, reaching out to touch him, anywhere she could. She pulled his head downward until his mouth replaced his hand. She writhed, hands in his hair, holding him to her . The waves came coursing through her body. And Rick pulled back and smiled at her. Kate smiled back. "Partners," she said. "Tit for tat."

Rick gasped as Kate kissed the tattoo on his thigh and worked her mouth to where he stood ready. The teasing kisses and light touch of her tongue almost brought him to madness, but she was ready when he came to her, deeply and desperately. They moved together, touching and stroking, mouths locked. The soul shattering climax left them staring at each other in wonder.

Beckett wasn't sure she'd ever move again, but her phone buzzed and she did. There was a body. She and Castle met Lanie, Ryan and Esposito at the scene, a cramped basement apartment. Neighbors had become disgusted at the odor penetrating the door and walls and called the police. LT stood at the door and handed Beckett a small tin of wintergreen salve to help counteract the smell. Beckett shared some with Castle and returned the tin gratefully. The body was of a woman with snow white hair and deep wrinkles. The name on her mail box was Mary Murphy. There was also a second body, a gray tabby cat. "Lanie," Beckett asked, "what do you think?"

"Not a mark on her," Lanie replied. "Looks like another Sam Wallace - without the billions."

A gloved Ryan pointed to the trash can and held up a familiar looking can of cat food. Castle checked the serial number. "This is some of the stuff that was recalled," he said.

"Her cabinets are full of the stuff," Esposito said. "She probably stocked up when it was on sale. She has no TV, no internet, she might not have known about the recall.

Castle rammed a gloved fist against the wall and stormed out into the hall. Beckett followed. "Are you all right?" she asked.

"Yes, No!" Castle answered. "Listen, you do whatever it is you're going to do here, but there's something I have to work on."

"OK," Beckett agreed. "See you later?"

Castle stripped off his glove and cupped her cheek. "See you later."

Beckett finished her documentation of the scene and went to the 12th to start her paperwork. Castle returned to the loft and opened his laptop. He spent hours typing, followed by some time on the phone.

Beckett returned to the loft in early evening to find Castle thoughtfully stirring Marinara sauce. "Ready for dinner?" Castle asked.

"Sure," Beckett answered."What have you been up to?"

"I'll show you later," Castle told her. "Right now I have a need to feed you."

Castle dropped pasta into a large pot of salted water, already boiling on the stove, and put some crusty Italian bread in the oven to warm. Crisp green beans were quickly steamed. Castle had set the table with china and silver and cloth napkins folded as swans. He was uncharacteristically quiet as he served the meal.

Beckett wiped the last bit of sauce from her lips and helped Castle clear the table. "Rick, what's all this about?" she asked.

"Seeing Mary Murphy today, and knowing there were other people who died just because they were poor and couldn't afford a decent meal, it made me grateful for what we have. But it also made me angry that in a city, a country, overflowing with fine dining, there are people who can't eat."

"So what were you doing today after you left the scene?"

"I'll show you," Rick said. Rick got his laptop and opened it in front of Kate so that she could see what he had written.

"'The Killing Hunger?'" Kate asked.

"It's a Nikki Heat short," Rick explained, "highlighting the hunger problem. I used some elements from this case. In the story, Jameson Rook writes an expose. I can't do that, but I can weave a good tale. Paula is arranging for the story to be syndicated in newspapers all over the country. It must be something about Christmas, but Gina actually gave her blessing. My blogging buddies will be publicizing it and links will go out to all my followers on Twitter."

Kate draped herself over Rick's lap with her hands around his neck. Smiling, she said nothing, but stared into the endless blue of his eyes.

"What?" Rick asked.

Kate kissed him softly. "Just, I love you."

Finis

A/N That's it for Relapse. The next one will be in the same universe but much lighter fare. It will be called Pancake Confidential and Castle will be entering the (I couldn't resist) Great Pancake Flipoff where the body will drop. Thanks for all the encouragement. Love, Sally


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